Passing the Torch
by Queen-of-the-Merry-Men
Summary: It's the night after the wedding and everyone is celebrating the union of the Evil Queen and the Prince of Thieves. When she takes a minute to catch her breath Regina runs into the one person she never thought she'd see. The Author. What does he have planned for her now? Oneshot


It was a night for celebration in Storybrooke. The evil queen had finally gotten her happy ending. After months of fighting for a way to be together Regina and Robin Hood had finally had a tied the knot. As soon as the queens of darkness were defeated Robin had immediately proposed to Regina, stating "I refuse to wait for something else to go wrong." The two were married in a very small private ceremony at her mansion. Only Snow, Charming and their boys were present. It was so different than her first wedding. Though Snow had insisted on a wedding gown she wore no puffy, impressive white dress this time. Instead she opted a floor length midnight blue gown. It was simple and elegant. It was her. When she and Robin were finally married it was the happiest she'd ever been.

When word got around of their marriage a celebration was arranged at the Merry Men's camp. The whole town had shown up for a night to celebrate the union between the Evil Queen and the Prince of Thieves. The sounds of music and laughter could be heard all throughout the forest. All night Regina and Robin received congrats from everyone they came in contact. Halfway through the night Regina whispered to Robin that she was going to take a minute to catch her breath. She leaned against a boulder pretty close to the camp but far enough not to catch anyone's eye. She took a deep breath and surveyed the camp with a smile. She could see Snow trying to teach Emma and Henry the steps to a complicated dance from their world. Hook sat on a log next to Roland letting him examine his arm, no doubt explaining how he'd lost his hand. And Robin, her Robin, was laughing with Charming by the campfire.

She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. _Finally._

"Quite the celebration isn't it?"

Her eyes popped open at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. She discovered an older man standing next to her. He was tall with bright green eyes and thick salt and pepper hair that topped his head and covered his chin as well. She didn't recognize him at all.

"Well it wasn't all my doing," she said once she found her voice. "Snow…"

"Yet it's being held in your honor," said the man. "Everyone seems quite jubilant that you've received your happy ending."

Regina forced a chuckle. "Well, it's been a difficult journey for me to get here."

"No one knows that more than me," said the man looking at her. "After all… I did write it."

Everything froze as Regina processed his words. She turned her head to him slowly. "No…"

"Hello Regina. I'm your author," he said calmly. "I believe you've been looking for me."

Regina stared at him in open-mouthed shock. This was the author! The man who'd written her entire life. A thousand fears and emotions ran through her head as she looked at him. Finally one emotion settled above the others. Anger. Before she even realized it she had clenched her fist and punched him square in the jaw. He fell back against the ground with a thud and a groan.

"Okay," he said rubbing his chin, "I could see how you would think I deserved that."

"What are you doing here?" she whispered hysterically. "How can you can come here?"

"Well I can see you're not handling this well," he said slowly getting to his feet. Before he could even stand straight Regina had grabbed him by his throat and forced his back to the boulder. He looked into her eyes and saw they were filled with fear and tears.

"What are you going to do to me?" she whispered harshly. "What am I going to have to lose this time? Henry? Roland? Is it Robin? It's Robin isn't it? You want to take him away from me again. Why are you doing this to me?!"

"I'm not going to do anything to you Regina," he gritted out. "This is your happy ending. I won't take it from you, I promise."

"Why should I believe you?" she growled.

"Because I wrote it," he answered lowly. "And I would never ruin my own work."

Regina searched his eyes for insincerity but she found none. She slowly let his throat from her grasp. For a long time she just stared at him. This was the man who had been in control of her entire destiny. Why had he been so cruel to her? What did she ever do to him?

"What are you?" she asked.

"Just a man with a pen and a job," he answered quietly. "I'm not a magical entity. I can't shoot fireworks from my hands or move objects with my mind. I'm a bit immortal though."

"What do you mean a bit immortal?" spat Regina.

"Because I'm the author I can't die until my story's done," he said. "That's actually why I came tonight."

"What are you talking about?" she said warily.

"I came to thank you," he said. "Now that you have your happy ending I can finally rest in peace."

Regina glared at him. "Well I don't want your thanks," she responded coldly. "You put me through hell my entire life. You ruined every chance I had to be happy."

"No I didn't," he said calmly shaking his head.

Regina exhaled in anger. "Are you serious?! You took Daniel from me! You trapped me in that marriage for ten years! You turned me into a villain!"

"Hey none of that was my fault!" he exclaimed. "I didn't control your actions. You did. You made your own choices and decisions. I gave you dozens of opportunities to change and you discarded them all until Henry came along."

"What are you talking about?"

He shook his head in frustration. "I sent you a fairy, I sent Snow to forgive you, Hell I even sent you a genie so you could wish your way out but you went in a whole 'nother direction with that one. You continued to make bad choices. It got to the point where I couldn't have you succeed anymore. You had to lose."

"Well why did everything have to fall on me?" she asked. "You gave Snow friends and kindness and purity. While I got temptation after temptation. You shrouded me in darkness. How could you expect me to change?"

"Because you were supposed to be the hero," he said calmly.

"What?" she whispered incredulously.

"You were supposed to be the hero," he repeated deliberately. "It was never supposed to be you against Snow. It was supposed to be you against Cora."

She stood in silence as she listened to what the Author said.

"I originally wanted for you and Daniel to escape together. You were supposed to discover your magic and use it to defeat your mother and place her heart back in her chest. That was how I wanted the story to end. Daniel was never supposed to die."

Regina felt a tear go down her cheek. "Then why did he?"

"Fate had other plans it seemed. When you rescued Snow the story bended in ways that I didn't even think possible. After reading of his death I couldn't pick up the book for days. I wept for Daniel just like you did but I hoped that his death would've been the catalyst to finally make you break free of your mother. But I underestimated how deeply she had gotten under your skin. The next time I opened the book you had already turned your hatred toward Snow White. The damage to your story was irreparable."

"I can't believe this," said Regina running her hands through her hair in frustration.

The author sighed softly. "You want to know why I made things easier for Snow. It's because I needed her to be someone who'd be willing to forgive you. It's why I kept her so pure and hopeful. So I had her make friends with people who were kind and compassionate. I saw that your fate would someday rest in her hands and I needed her to see your potential."

He paused for a moment. "Regina I never gave up on you. You were always my protagonist."

"Then why did you make things so hard for me when the curse broke? Losing mother, and Henry and Robin. Why did you put me through those things?"

"Your mother's fate, Regina, was to die. No matter what I wrote that would never change. Robin and Henry however were my doing entirely. I needed to be sure about you. I may have written your journey but you have thrown me for a loop more than once. I needed to make sure that you wouldn't revert back to the Evil Queen. Watching you make the decisions to do the right thing… well I had never been prouder of you. Saving Henry and Marian no matter the cost to yourself made me certain that you were finally the hero I had planned for you to be. It's why I was finally ready to write you your happy ending."

Regina stared at him, unsure what to think. He was being sincere she could tell but that didn't mean he wasn't a bastard for everything that he'd put her through.

"I still hate you," she said firmly.

"I know," replied the Author. "I suppose that's something I'll just have to live with. But Regina I do want you to know that everything that I wrote, it was all meant to get you here. Happy, in love and surrounded by people who care about you."

Regina turned her attention back to the campfire. She could see still everyone she cared about enjoying themselves. She felt a small smile on her lips despite her desire to be angry.

"It also makes you the perfect person for this," said the Author revealing a thick leather-bound book. Regina raised her eyebrows at him.

"Is this supposed to be a joke?"

"No," he said flatly. "Regina I have written many stories in my long, long life. It's what has kept me alive for so long. I've shaped hundreds of characters and created amazing heroes. You were my best. The young girl who loses her love, falls down the wrong path, discovers motherhood and becomes a hero. I'll never be able to top you. That's why I'm retiring. But before I can do that I need to choose a successor. It just so happens that I think you are the best candidate."

Regina's mouth opened in shock. "I'm sorry. Did you just say that you want me to become an author? Are you out of your mind? The answer is no."

"No?"

"NO!" said Regina firmly. "I'm not going to create people just so I can twist and manipulate their lives for my own amusement!"

"I don't create people," corrected the Author in a strict tone. "The characters create themselves. They make their own decisions. I can only arrange situations and opportunities. Things like making it rain so they don't go outside and cross paths with a giant."

"Still not interested," said Regina stubbornly starting to walk toward the camp.

"Please Regina," he said stepping in front of her. "Just hear me out."

She looked at him and folded her arms. "Why me? I'm a reformed villain who settles arguments with a mix of violence and sarcasm. What makes me such a good candidate?"

"You forget Regina I've watched you your entire life," said the Author. "You've been through a lot and survived more than most people could ever handle. You have a compassion and understanding about you that I wouldn't be able to find in anyone else. Those are things that characters will need from their author. That's why I want to pass the torch onto you and no one else. You don't have to say yes now. Just take the book. And if you ever open it then I'll know."

Regina eyed the book with apprehension. Could she really guide someone towards being a hero? Could she handle that responsibility? She slowly lifted it out of his hands and he smiled.

"Now remember you're not all powerful here. You can't control actions or decisions. Only circumstance and opportunity. Once you open it the story will start to write itself and introduce you to your characters. When it trails off on an ellipsis that's when you can affect the story with your own judgment."

He gave her one last hopeful look. "Good luck."

As he began to walk away she suddenly yelled out. "How will I know who the heroes are?"

He turned back and shouted. "An author always knows."

After the party Regina snuck away from robin long enough to put the book into her vault. And for months that's where it remained. The Author was stayed true to his word and Regina enjoyed her happy ending. She and Robin were finally together and nothing could tear them apart. They built a family with their two boys and enjoyed many days of bliss. Thing began to quiet down around Storybrooke. No more major villains popped up and the people began to relax. It was after months of tranquility that Regina realized that she hadn't been to check up on her vault in weeks. She decided to visit to make sure that no one was attempting to mess with anyone inside. While checking to make sure that all her potions and spell ingredients were indeed there her eyes fell on the blank leather-bound book. She thought back to the day she'd met the Author and he'd gave her this responsibility. She thought to herself about how much she was enjoying her well-deserved happy ending. _Maybe it's time I give one to someone else._

She carried the book over to her desk and opened a fresh pot of ink and grabbed a new quill. She took a deep breath before opening the book. Once she laid eyes on its blank pages she felt its magic wash over her. Soon the words began to appear.

_Once Upon A Time…_


End file.
